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Sophomore year, I decided what my final words would be. Famous and noble men are remembered fondly for their last words. Thomas Jefferson, Marie Antoinette, and countless others have created a legacy through their final sentences. There’s so much pressure to put the right words together, to leave the world with a message that in essence captures a whole person. With all of this in mind, I put some serious thought into what I would say. I added articles and cut out nouns. I frowned at the definitive period at the end of the sentence and stuck my tongue out at my sorry pronoun usage. All of that culminated into what will be my final message to the world: “It was the chicken.” Short, sweet, and to the point of my greasy, characteristically unhealthy diet that will most likely be the cause of my early grave. Don’t judge. The words “It was the chicken,” came from the voice of an elderly woman from a fiction story I wrote. The words were the final statement of her will and this was her way of confessing to killing her husband years earlier. Out of every story I wrote last year, this was the only line that even my friends walked around saying after they read it. Somehow the simple, four word, foodie-induced phrase created a memorable effect. Now that I’m on Élan staff as the Junior Creative Nonfiction Editor, the truth to that statement has never seemed clearer to me. The pieces we read don’t have to have a car chase and a gruesome death. There’s nothing better than writing with subtlety that engrosses you more than the graphic detail given to how someone butters their toast. Strong writing has needs nothing but the words and the essence of the writer themselves. It’s always the not-so-famous last words that make the greatest impact anyways. --Shamiya Anderson, Creative Non-Fiction Editor

Before last year I had considered myself a fiction writer. A storyteller, maybe even a future novelist. I loved reading it and writing some of it but I never had the experience of growth that  I did with other forms of writing. I've always felt like I've never progressed with my fiction. It's almost as if I'm writing on the same level as I was in my freshman year. So, with the semester halfway over and my journey to fiction class is near I have decided to take a new approach to fiction writing. Funny. I always find myself going back to the same topics when writing. Those include children, parenting and coming of age experiences. I try to make mental notes to myself to "change it up!" But it never really happens. But I feel that this year while in my fiction class I can take a humorous route. I enjoy reading funny stories that are light hearted and witty and I think there are plenty out there that still retain literary value in terms of style and technique. Sometimes people may fail to recognize a piece's merit simply because of its subject matter. So, with the new semester on the rise I have challenged myself. Create funny fiction. Whether it be about an awkward first date or a rain dance while making a pie in the kitchen, I'm going to make my stories funny. -Madison George, Social Media Editor

Being a senior, it’s often hard to think of the last time something was not beginning. A new test, a college application, a new email, etc. But I have recently been trying to teach myself that beginnings are not always troublesome; they happen for a reason. I was recently accepted to the college of my choice. I was attempting to create a password for my new account with them. I had so much trouble with it that I had to call the help desk. I was so entirely frustrated and ready to give up, but the girl on the other line was kind enough to set my password for me. It was a two minute phone call. So, you are asking why I am telling you this? Because it took me that long to figure out how lucky I am to be able to go to college. There I was, sitting on my nice couch, in my warm home, complaining to no end about something out of my control. I had to stop and think about my life this year. Have you ever counted how many times a day you complain about anything at all? For me, the number would be astronomical. I have decided to do more with my days as a senior than complain constantly about trivial things. I will complain about math tests for sure (that cannot be avoided), but I will try to focus on all of the beginnings that my senior year has brought to me. I can’t wait to graduate and start the next part of my education, but for now, I want to take each day as it comes. I want to focus on the opportunities that I receive and I want to learn to be more thankful for what I learn from this year. -Sarah Buckman, Editor-in-Chief

I never thought that entering high school and learning how to write would make me forget how to be a writer. I never considered that uncovering the workings of language, would make me forget that words ever held magic. Most of all, I never believed that growing older and more mature would make me forget how to see the glitter of inspiration in the air, because I was too attuned to the stark world of reality. When I was younger I plucked stories out of the air because for me they were easy to see. They glimmered like specks of dust in certain light, and liked to bounce off one another and land in my friends’ hair, collecting on each individual strand so that even the follicles shone bright. But as I grew older, I stopped seeing stories in the air as sparks of light. Poems were no longer an exotic type of sweetness on my tongue. The music of words didn’t swell in my body. In the midst of all the chaos of junior year I neglected to make time for myself just to sit down and write. Whenever I wrote it was for a class, for a grade, not for myself. This led me done an unpleasant path of being disconnected from most of my works. I thought that I would never be inspired to write again. But recently I read a poem called “Parsley” by: Rita Dove for my author project. On the first read I didn’t understand what was going on at all, but by the end of the fifth read I was devouring the words. Some of them tasted too cliché. Some of them were too intense. However, most of them, to my surprise, tasted like chocolate, soft and rich, deep and smooth. They had filled an appetite that I forgot I ever had. -- Stephanie Thompson, Public Relations & Marketing Editor

Winter represents to us the traditions we love and the beginnings we create. This year, we welcomed an almost entirely new staff, and learned as much as they did in the process of making the first book. We built from the framework that was laid previously, and are proud to represent the publication in its 30th year. At this point last year, I was terrified of this position: responsible for every part and piece coming together by deadline.  I was confident in my ability to contribute, but not to run the show.  Teaching a completely new group of staff members made the task more daunting. In reality, the situation was ideal and allowed for us to take the publication in any direction we wanted. I allowed myself to be comfortable with all aspects of growth, including starting from the ground. I’m proud of what each member of Élan accomplished this go-round, and honored to have the opportunity to watch their growth, as well as the magazine’s. -Jordan Jacob, Senior Editor-in-Chief

This year has been a busy one to say the least. With AP tests coming up and junior year winding down, the juniors are starting to think of our goodbyes to the seniors on staff. It is difficult to describe the experiences I have had this year on staff as one of the editors-in-chief, and I want this post to stay true to those experiences that I will never forget. Emily Cramer- Has taught me that it is okay to cry and laugh about it when InDesign is attempting to save a file. She has taught me that senioritis is a lie, it is a code name for giving up, and that I should never let it affect me. She has taught me that I should always be kind, but firm in my decisions and to believe in myself. Emily Leitch- Has taught me that it is okay to talk to a computer when it is not doing what you want it to. She has taught me that it is okay to stand up for what I believe in, even when everyone else thinks something different. She has taught me how to express my emotions, and how to enjoy life to the fullest. Raegen Carpenter- Has taught me that laughing is something to be done loudly and proudly and that I can always find something funny in a serious moment. Brittanie Demps- Has taught me that hard work pays off, and to never give up on what I am trying to accomplish, no matter what gets thrown at me. Kiera Nelson- Has taught me that being sassy can still be classy and that I should always accept my mistakes gracefully and be willing to fix them the next time around. Emily Jackson- Has taught me that poetry can change my life (her poetry to be exact) and that any moment can be turned into a poem if it has raw emotion connected to it. Haley Hitzing- Has taught me that being organized pays off, and that when I say I am going to do something, I should always follow through with it. Makenzie Fields- Has taught me how to effectively communicate with other people without being afraid to say how I feel and that I need to stick with a plan once I have made it. Zoe DeWitt- Has taught me that being opinionated is okay, and that I should always be excited for tomorrow. I want to thank all the seniors for everything they have taught me this year. I will miss all of you dearly, but I know the class of 2015 will handle your legacy with care because of how well you taught us. – Sarah Buckman, Editor in Chief

“…and I was born, and raised, right here” were the last words spoken by Patricia Smith. The entire NJPAC theatre went silent. Breaths of the audience members were taken away for a good five seconds before an eruption of applause filled every corner of the auditorium. It was Saturday night of the Dodge Poetry Festival 2012, and Smith’s poem, Skinhead, was the most passionate reading I (and I think I speak for my fellow classmates on the trip as well) had experienced yet. Her immaculate use of pronunciation and articulation of each word captivated everyone within hearing distance, causing them to be on the edge of their seats waiting to hear the finishing lines of Smith’s ever-so-famous poem. This was the first time I ever experienced this poem in person; YouTube videos will never do it justice, and after that night I became an even bigger fan of Smith. With National Poetry Month in sight, that night at the NJPAC rings in my ears. I wondered what Smith has been up too since the Festival, last October. I emailed her to voice these questions, not expecting a reply, and was delighted when the “1” icon appeared over the mail app on my computer, signifying a response. Here’s what she said. 1)      Have you been featured in any other festivals since the Dodge Poetry Festival in 2012? “I haven’t been involved in any festivals as large as Dodge, but I travel constantly. For instance, I’ve been featured in smaller festivals in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Seattle, Washington; Vancouver BC and Boston. A good deal of my time was taken up at a writing residency in upstate New York. I was given space, time and solitude in order to work on my writing. The experience was nourishing, and invaluable.” 2)      Are you working on any new poetry books? If so, when can we look forward to it coming out? “I’m almost finished with my next book, although it may be some time before it comes out. I just had a book released last spring, and my publisher believes that if they come out close to one another, they’ll compete instead of complement. I edited an anthology of crime fiction stories that came out in November, and won an award for the story I contributed—so right now I’m dabbling with a book of my own short stories.” 3)      When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? “I first knew I wanted to be a writer when I was eight years old. My father, who was part of the Great Migration of blacks from the south in the 50’s, was a born storyteller. From him, I learned to think of the world in terms of the stories it could tell. And I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have discovered that exciting way to live my life.” Being a writer sure is an exciting life, and I can’t until the next time Smith’s path crosses mine, to pour even more inspiration through her words into me. --Makenzie Fields

It is literally my last day in Élan. I won’t enter this room again as Editor, next time I come back I will be a reader. I can submit for as long as I am 18, and I can’t wait to see when the next edition becomes available online. I won’t know exactly how the pieces will be read, and I won’t be standing there arguing over a cover or a page layout. All I have to do is continue to support the magazine. I couldn’t have lead this magazine without the support of the staff. They were so committed, and all work that you submitted this year was in the best hands. They care about this department and publication so much, even when we would slam our heads on the key board and scream about how done we all were- we weren’t really done. All of the staff parties and book launches and we still would never be done, because writers never really finish a piece, and this magazine lives on, so we as long as we have readers and a committed staff Élan will thrive. So thank you for writing, thank your for reading, and above all thank you for believing in us. –Jenn Carter, Editor in Chief

Next year I put my feet in Emily Leitch’s shoes. I’m afraid her shoes may be a few sizes too big to fit my size fives. I’ve tried them on a few times, walked around in them a little bit, but my heel might just slip out of the back. I’ve learned a lot about the tedious process of layout from my own experience with InDesign, but I wouldn’t have learned some of the most important things about placement and design without the help of my senior editor. We had to figure it out together, test the water a little bit, since we were both new to the process. Through this, my eye for what Élan is has effloresced into something intimate because now it means so much to me. The hardest part of this year was definitely starting from scratch and maintaining the continuity and the branding of the book. Once we established our image and tweaked the templates we had a really good idea of what we were going for. I am so proud to be a part of this delicate process because the caliber of our book’s art and writing deserves every bit of dedication and reverence from the staff. I led the design of our spring edition and really got the chance to get my hands dirty in the printer ink and keyboard dust. Designing the book takes a team and without my team of editors there is no way the book could have achieved the greatness it did. I could not be more proud of our print edition. The greatest prize was to see our work evolve into something tangible and professional. I know it will leave a big legacy for Emily Leitch as she departs for college; she deserves every bit of it. I hope that I can stand up to the high standards she’s placed so that next year’s editions can be just as meaningful to the legacy of our book. It’s time to start walking in her shoes. -- Taylor Austell, Layout and Website Editor

I have never been the type of girl that liked flowers. To me they were always over used and underappreciated. I didn’t have a need for them. But last year my grandmother took me down to black creek and listened to the water flow by and I saw a pink Lotus. It was the first flower that I had ever seen that made me feel something. I felt at peace. Before we left I plucked it from the water and took it home with me. I let it dry out and kept it in a jar on my dresser. After awhile of waking up to it every morning I started to become curious of its meaning. I learned that the lotus represented being at peace in muddy waters. Those few words sparked something in me. I had always been the most negative, cynical person in the room, never giving anything a chance to work out. I was tired of feeling that way but I didn’t know how to separate myself from that familiar, warm lifestyle but that flower and its secret meaning showed me that there could be beauty in the murky as long as you could be at ease with your surroundings. I began to carry that meaning around with me everywhere I went. I let that entire philosophy tangle its way into my life because I had nothing left to lose if it didn’t work out. That was the best decision I ever made. Ever since then I’ve taught myself to breathe before stressing, listen before speaking. I’ve taught myself to accept things as they come and look at things in the brightest light possible. I’ve changed so much in the best year and all my changes have been for the better all because of one simple dried up flower. -Anna Dominguez, Junior Poetry Editor

Going into this year I was extremely excited to get back into the swing of things. At the end of last year the staff had a really good routine of updating the blog, laying out the book and creating a brand for ourselves and was on the road to launch the new and improved Élan! I have to say that this year has been nothing but good. We have made goals for ourselves and now we are well on our way to accomplishing them. As a senior, I feel like that leaving the staff at the end of the year will be bittersweet. Of course it will sad to leave but I will feel very proud of what I am leaving behind. Taking a lead in both Homecoming and Marketing this year has really inspired me to look into careers like Marketing and Public Relations as well as Event Planning. Mrs. Melanson always says that being on the Élan Staff is like having a job without getting a paycheck. But, being so heavily involved in the planning of Homecoming and really jumping into the Marketing process has made me reconsider my possible career choice. Having marketing meetings, planning and executing our ideas is something that I look forward to and receive extreme satisfaction from. I get a little adrenaline rush when I get to sit down at a table with my agenda flipped to the notes section, my pen in hand.  I think that being on the staff has inspired me to do what I love and what makes me happy. I love the global idea of branding, planning, and being able to work in a team. I look forward to going to Élan and to pick up right where we left off the previous day. I feel that I accomplish a lot personally as well as working with the rest of the staff as a whole.  There is always a sense of true appreciation after leaving second period every day and it’s something that I am going to miss next year. -Madison George, Social Media Editor

Lately I have been feeding my identity as a Latino writer by way of absorbing as much Latin American literature as possible. It has been a daunting but rewarding task. In my quest, I have read books of fiction by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, such as the renowned 100 Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera, and currently Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. Though I have mostly read fiction, I hope to delve into the realm of poetry fairly soon. When engaging with Latin American texts the common thread of Magic Realism begins to make itself known. This particular genre is very rich and vivid but not for everyone. Due to its fantastical nature and imaginative leaps some claim that it is far too unrealistic, unreasonable, and makes little sense. However, many Latinos agree that the perspective and tradition of Magic Realism speaks directly to their people and collective voice. In Marquez’s 100 Years of Solitude, it is perfectly acceptable that ghosts should appear to give the living company, or that butterflies should follow a character faithfully and, in turn, follow his lover. For me, the beauty of the genre borders poetry, with its slow lulling narrative, and truth concerning matters of life and love. Having been to Mexico several times throughout my life, the genre matches the rhythms and rituals of living and the way people interact in that country. The tradition of this kind of writing fascinates me.  I have tried my hand at writing in this way and will continue to experiment with this style. For me, it seems that reading and writing about the Latin American experience is not only refreshing and exciting but rings true to preserving my culture. -Aracely Medina, Senior Poetry Editor